Calls for papers

 

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management

 

Special Issue on: "Waste Recycling through Vermicomposting: Current Trends and Future Perspectives"

Guest Editors:
Dr. Prateek Shilpkar, Biogas Research and Extension Centre, India
Mrs. Deepti Shilpkar, Jai Narain Vyas University, India
Professor Yung-Tse Hung, Cleveland State University, USA

Waste, also referred to as rubbish, trash, refuse, garbage, or junk, is unwanted or unusable materials. They are byproducts of some economically important products, agricultural crops or living being remains. Today, due to availability of sophisticated instruments, man is increasingly exploring nature to produce a number of products to be used in day-to-day life. This exploitation is producing a huge amount of waste.

Some wastes are degradable in nature whereas many are non-degradable. They are dumped either in the soil or in the sea. Dumping is not the solution to waste removal. If these wastes are not properly treated, they may then pollute groundwater or seawater. One way to reduce the risk of pollution is chemical or mechanical treatment of wastes, which is quite costly. Another, cheaper way is use of micro- or macro-organisms. Use of microorganisms requires their expensive cultivation in the laboratory and is also highly sensitive to degradation conditions. On the other hand macroorganisms such as earthworms are freely available in nature and their rearing is also cheap.

Conversion of waste materials kept in heaps via earthworms into valuable products is known as vermicomposting and its product is called vermicompost. Efficiency of this process depends on a number of factors including size of waste, size of pile, nature of waste, amount of moisture present, ratio of waste and dung, availability of sufficient protection measures, species of earthworms to be used, presence of any toxic material in waste etc. Selling of worms itself generates employment especially in rural areas.

In this context, we call for papers addressing research on the above-mentioned factors affecting the rate of vermicomposting. The outcomes will help planners to develop policies in this regard and also guide researchers to make this process more efficient and economic.

Subject Coverage
Suitable topics include but are not limited to:

• Nature and composition of different wastes to be vermicomposted
• Different species of earthworms to be used
• Nature and physiology of different earthworm species
• Effect of heap size
• Effect of size of waste materials
• Effect of moisture and nutrient content
• Effect of additives
• Basic needs of earthworms for optimum growth and activity
• Habitat and ecology of earthworms
• Mechanism of waste degradation by earthworms
• Physical, chemical or biological pre-treatment of wastes before vermicomposting
• In-situ activities of earthworms
• Economics of vermicomposting
• Role of earthworms in nutrient cycling
• Release of nutrients during vermicomposting
• Microbiological and enzymic changes during vermicomposting
• Microbiology and biochemistry of vermicomposting
• Pollution control by vermicomposting
• Fertilizer value of vermicompost
• Designs or special instruments to be used for vermicomposting
• Changes in content of vitamins, amino acids, antibiotics and other elements during vermicomposting

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. (N.B. Conference papers may only be submitted if the paper was not originally copyrighted and if it has been completely re-written).

All papers are refereed through a double-blind review process. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the Author Guidelines page

Important Dates

Deadline for paper submission: 31 August 2010

First turn of papers review: 31 October 2010

Second turn of papers review: 30 November 2010

Final papers submission: 31 December 2010